Latest news with #ScottRoberts
Dublin Live
03-06-2025
- Health
- Dublin Live
New Covid variant turning classic symptoms upside down amid summer surge fears
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A new Covid variant has been confirmed in Ireland and experts say it could be changing how symptoms show up. The strain, named NB.1.8.1, has seen a rapid rise in Ireland in recent weeks. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the proportion of sequenced Covid samples linked to NB.1.8.1 has jumped from just 3.7% to 33.3% in the last five weeks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified NB.1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring" due to its fast global spread. It now accounts for more than 10% of sequenced Covid infections worldwide and is already the dominant strain in China and Hong Kong. It has also been detected in the UK, US and Australia, as well as a number of popular holiday destinations like Egypt, Thailand, and the Maldives. But it's the way this variant may alter the typical symptom profile that has caught doctors' attention. While previous strains mainly triggered respiratory issues, NB.1.8.1 is now being linked to gastrointestinal symptoms in some patients - which can include nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn. Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, explained: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." She added that there's no indication so far that NB.1.8.1 causes more severe illness, stating: "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants." According to Dr Scott Roberts, an infectious disease specialist at Yale, Covid typically surges twice a year - in winter and summer - regardless of the variant. He told NBC news last week: "I'm going to go ahead and guess that it's going to lead to an uptick in the summer - probably a mild to moderate one". Meanwhile, Dr Thomas Russo, head of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo, told the publication of his concern that a relaxed approach to the virus could backfire. He warned: "It may unfortunately come back with a little bit of vengeance on us. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but I am concerned that we may be setting ourselves up for that with this combination of factors." The WHO has not recommended any new travel or trade restrictions, but urged countries to remain alert, saying: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions." Ireland's public health advice remains the same: If you have any symptoms of Covid, stay at home until 48 hours after the symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from Covid. The HSE has reminded the public of the wide range of Covid symptoms to look out for. These include: fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills dry cough fatigue (tiredness) loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose) conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye) sore throat headache muscle or joint pain (aches and pains) different types of skin rash nausea or vomiting diarrhoea chills dizziness shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss of appetite confusion pain or pressure in the chest Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Dublin Live
03-06-2025
- Health
- Dublin Live
Experts warn new Covid variant has different symptoms to look out for
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A fresh Covid variant has emerged in Ireland and specialists say there are different symptoms to be aware of compared to other strains. Dubbed NB. 1.8.1, the new variant has witnessed a swift climb in Ireland lately. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) notes that the portion of sequenced Covid cases linked to NB.1.8. 1 has soared from a mere 3.7% to a hefty 33.3% within the past five weeks, reports the Irish Mirror. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has tagged NB. 1.8.1 as a "variant under monitoring" thanks to its brisk global proliferation. It's now responsible for upwards of 10% of sequenced Covid infections globally, reigning supreme as the predominant strain in locations like China and Hong Kong. The new strain has also been detected in the UK, USA and Australia, and several holiday hotspots such as Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives have reported cases too. However, what's really grabbing medical professionals' attention is how this variant might tweak the usual symptoms we're used to. Instead of the standard respiratory issues other versions tend to cause, NB.1.8.1 has been associated with gastrointestinal distress in some sufferers, including nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and heartburn. Dr Lara Herrero, Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University at Griffith University, said: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases." She noted there's no solid evidence indicating NB. 1.8.1 is more severe, adding: "But importantly, the WHO has not yet observed any evidence it causes more severe disease compared to other variants. Reports suggest symptoms of NB.1.8.1 should align closely with other Omicron subvariants." Dr Scott Roberts, a Yale infectious disease expert, said that Covid sees spikes twice yearly – during winter and summer seasons – variant notwithstanding. He told NBC news last week: "I'm going to go ahead and guess that it's going to lead to an uptick in the summer - probably a mild to moderate one". Dr Thomas Russo from the University at Buffalo voiced concerns to the same outlet about complacency, cautioning: "It may unfortunately come back with a little bit of vengeance on us. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but I am concerned that we may be setting ourselves up for that with this combination of factors." The WHO continues to advise against new travel or trade restrictions but calls for countries to stay vigilant, clarifying: "Based on the current risk assessment of this event, WHO advises against imposing travel or trade restrictions." Ireland's current health stance remains unchanged: Folks presenting Covid symptoms should self-isolate until they've been symptom-free for 48 hours, staying clear of others, particularly those most vulnerable to the virus. The HSE has issued a reminder to the public about the extensive list of Covid symptoms to be aware of. These include: fever (high temperature - 38C or above) - including having chills dry cough fatigue (tiredness) loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this could mean they're completely gone or just different to normal nasal congestion (runny or blocked nose) conjunctivitis (also known as red eye or pink eye) sore throat headache muscle or joint pain (aches and pains) different types of skin rash nausea or vomiting diarrhoea chills dizziness shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss of appetite confusion pain or pressure in the chest Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
The Guardian
09-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
I was sufficiently vaccinated against measles in childhood – or so I thought
When I enrolled in graduate school at the age of 53, I knew I would probably be the oldest student in class. But I was stumped by one of the admission requirements – an immunization certificate for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and tetanus vaccines, verified by a doctor. Fortunately, I had my mother's handwritten documentation of my vaccines and took this to my primary care physician. 'Beautiful,' she said, admiring the yellowed paperwork, which noted one measles vaccine when I was 13 months, the other at 10 years. 'But these aren't official records, so you need a titer test.' A what? Titer tests, my doctor explained, measure antibody levels in the blood. The results threw me for a loop. My immunity to rubella was sufficient, but mumps and measles antibodies were too low, and I needed an MMR vaccine before stepping foot on campus. It was a simple fix, but the incident lingered in my mind. Why were my titers low for measles antibodies despite two rounds of the vaccine? With record outbreaks this year – 607 in the US as of 3 April 2025 – I wondered if older adults should be concerned. According to Dr Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious disease specialist, adults who were immunized against measles between 1963 and 1967 – as I was – are at risk. During that period, said Roberts, children received either an inactivated measles vaccine or a live one. The inactivated version was less effective; it was discontinued in 1967. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 million people in the US received the inactivated vaccine between 1963 and 1967. (It was tested in clinical trials in the UK but never put into widespread use.) Per my mother's records, my second measles vaccine was live, but the first one, administered at the end of 1967, was not, which could explain the low titers test. If you know you received the inactivated vaccine, said Dr Aniruddha Hazra, a UChicago Medicine infectious disease expert, or don't know which one you got in the 1960s, 'get the MMR vaccine again. There is no harm in getting the shot even if you are fully immunized.' Adults can confirm immunity with a titer test, like I did, but the test can cost more than the MMR vaccine. 'If you would rather get the titers checked first,' said Hazra, 'that's a conversation to have with your healthcare provider.' But a low titer test doesn't necessarily mean you're susceptible to infection. Dr Robert Bednarczyk, an associate professor of global health and epidemiology at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, explained that even if vaccinated individuals don't have detectable circulating antibodies, they probably have memory cells in their immune system ready to produce more antibodies against the virus. Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, measles was a major cause of death in children under five. Infection could lead to hearing loss, deafness or debilitating neurological side effects. What is the current recommendation for adults born before the vaccine? 'Anyone born before 1957 was exposed to measles,' said Hazra. 'Based on that, the CDC and ACIP [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] said we can assume you were exposed or acquired measles, and measles immunity is lifelong.' This means no additional vaccine is recommended for this age group. If you're wondering how many shots you should have had, the answer is slightly muddy. Until 1989, the CDC recommended only one dose of the MMR vaccine for children. Thereafter, a second MMR dose was recommended to help 'increase the immune response in the small number of people who didn't fully respond to the first dose', said Bednarczyk. The CDC currently recommends two doses of the measles vaccine for children and 'one or two' doses for adults, reserving the two-dose recommendation for adults identified as high-risk, such as those in higher learning and healthcare settings, or who are traveling internationally. 'One dose is very effective at preventing measles,' said Bednarczyk. 'This is important, because many people born before the mid or late 1980s likely only received one dose of the MMR vaccine.' But, he added, people vaccinated prior to the two-dose recommendation benefited from high MMR vaccine uptake, which greatly reduced the risk of large measles outbreaks. The vaccination landscape has changed in recent years. Since the 2019-20 school year, vaccination rates amongst school children – targeted for 95% – have fallen dramatically. According to KFF, a non-profit health policy organization, only 11 US states reported vaccination rates of 95% or higher in the 2023-24 school year. Previous vaccination recommendations took into account the fact that measles had been eradicated in the US, said Hazra. 'All adults living in the US should be considered high-risk' right now, he says, and should receive two live doses at some point in their life, except for adults born before 1957. Sign up to Well Actually Practical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life after newsletter promotion Dr David Nguyen, an internal medicine and pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rush University System for Health, has a similar take. 'If an adult received only one MMR vaccine before the recommendation for two doses was made, they should consider getting a second dose.' In the absence of a formal CDC guideline for all adults, one thing is clear: two live vaccines confer lifetime immunity. 'There is also no value in getting more than two,' said Hazra. If you know you were vaccinated with the two doses of the live vaccine, he says, there is no recommendation for another dose, even in an outbreak or traveling internationally. Last month, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, remarked in an interview that immunity from the MMR vaccine 'wanes 4.5% a year' and that 'older people are essentially unvaccinated'. 'That is factually incorrect,' said Hazra. 'If it was true, we would be seeing more measles in people with histories of vaccination.' Hazra stresses the importance of including older adults in the discussion about measles protection; they're more vulnerable to possible complications from measles infections, which include pneumonia. But all the experts I spoke to warn against widespread misinformation about the measles vaccine. 'Levels of antibodies against the measles virus may decline over time,' adds Bednarcdzyk. 'But in the cases we've seen so far in 2025, only 3% of the cases had documented history of measles vaccine receipt.' Bednarczyk cites 'no big differences for adults compared to children' and that side effects usually clear up in a few days. 'A lot of these live vaccines elicit a greater immune response for 24-48 hours,' adds Hazra. 'The body is mounting an immune response and creating a lot of energy to do so.' The most common side effects are fever, soreness and swelling at the site of the injection, headache, muscle aches, tiredness or a mild rash. 'In some very rare cases,' said Bednarczyk, 'there may be a short-term drop in blood platelet levels after vaccination, which can also happen if you are infected with measles virus.' A person infected with measles spreads the disease to an average of 18 new cases in unvaccinated individuals, said Bednarczyk, making measles one of the most infectious diseases out there. (By comparison, individuals with seasonal influenza usually infect about two other people.) 'Airborne pathogens hang around for two hours,' added Hazra. 'It can infect so many people because of this.' The MMR vaccination is significantly safer than acquiring natural immunity via infection. 'Having the measles disease runs the risk of complications later on,' said Nguyen. These include subsequent measles infections from 'immune amnesia' and serious complications from measles-related encephalitis. Anyone who is unsure about their vaccination status should speak to their healthcare provider about an MMR or titer test. A high level of immunity across the US will help protect everyone. Jean Iversen is a Chicago-based writer and developmental editor
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Do you need a measles booster amid rising cases?
(NEXSTAR) — More than 250 cases of measles have been reported in the U.S., nearly all of which have been associated with three outbreaks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In light of the rise in cases, the CDC has warned that everyone 'should be up to date' on their vaccinations. But how do you know if you are? And how do you know if it's time to get a booster? Most have likely already been vaccinated against measles. The current CDC vaccination recommendations say children should receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine: the first when they're between the ages of 1 year and 15 months, and the second when they are between the ages of 4 and 6 years old but before they start school. If a child is receiving the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) vaccine, the second dose can be given three months after the first dose up until they turn 12. The first dose, according to CDC recommendations, should be separate MMR and varicella vaccines. Former Virginia NICU nurse faces new charges over babies with 'unexplained fractures' Some people may have presumptive evidence of immunity if they were born before 1957 or have laboratory evidence or confirmation of immunity or disease. Those who live in areas experiencing measles outbreaks, are at high risk for infection, and received the vaccine many years ago may want to consider getting a booster, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. If you are considered to have immunity, either with the vaccine or an accepted piece of presumptive evidence, you may not need a booster, according to Dr. Scott Roberts, a Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist. You may want to seek out another dose if you received the vaccine before 1968, Dr. Alex Dresden of SSM Health says, 'as the newer one is more effective.' USDA halts more than $1B in funding for local food banks, schools It is recommended that anyone who has not received a vaccine and never had measles get at least one MMR shot, Roberts explains. If you fall into this category and are also at a high risk for exposure — because you are a student in a post-secondary institution, are a health care worker, travel internationally, or may become pregnant — a second dose is suggested at least 28 days after the first, he adds. If you fall into any of those groups, or have concerns about measles, it's recommended that you speak with your healthcare provider. Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. Measles is an airborne and extremely infectious illness known for causing a potentially severe rash. While not seasonal, cases have spread when there is increased travel or unvaccinated people in close quarters, like summer camps, according to the CDC. Before the vaccine was available, roughly 48,000 people in the U.S. would be hospitalized for measles annually, the CDC says, with hundreds dying. Now, two doses of the MMR vaccine (the standard amount recommended in the U.S.) have been found to be 97% effective at preventing measles. A single dose is 93% effective, according to the CDC. Physical effects of space life include dizziness and 'baby feet' The U.S. determined measles had been eliminated in 2000 because of high vaccination rates, but those have been slipping in recent years. Fewer than 95% of kindergartners are up to date on their MMR vaccines, with rates continuing to drop. CDC data shows that in only 11 states — California, New Mexico, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine — was the kindergarten vaccine coverage at 95% or higher in 2024. Meanwhile, fewer than 90% of young children in 15 states — Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and New Hampshire — are vaccinated. Most of this year's cases have been reported in Texas. As of Tuesday, state health officials reported 223 cases. Twenty-nine people in the state are hospitalized. Neighboring New Mexico reported three additional cases, bringing the state total to 33. Deaths have occurred in both states — in Texas, a school-age child died last month while New Mexico reported its first adult death last week. Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its 80,000 employees Oklahoma's state health department reported two probable cases of measles Tuesday, saying they are 'associated' with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks. Measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Egg Prices Are Skyrocketing—But Why Are Some Cage-Free Ones Cheaper Than Regular?
All products featured on Self are independently selected by Self editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. leekris/Adobe Stock If you've been to the supermarket recently, you might have noticed a couple interesting things in the refrigerated section: For one, many of the shelves that once contained cartons upon cartons of eggs are now bare. And if you're lucky enough to find the breakfast staple in stock, you might be met with a surprising form of sticker shock: Eggs that have historically been more expensive, like organic, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised varieties, are often now actually on par with—or even cheaper than—the regular options, which have skyrocketed in cost. For example, on a recent trip to a Giant in Pennsylvania, we noticed large white eggs selling for $7.30 a dozen, while the cage-free option was just $4.95. You could write it off as an isolated fluke, but we did some digging and found similar trends at other major chains. As of press time, Shoprite lists Bowl & Basket–brand extra-large fresh white eggs for $7.69 a dozen—20 cents more than an 18-count pack (that's 50% more of 'em!) of cage-free large white eggs ($7.49). Meanwhile, Walmart is selling Great Value-brand jumbo white eggs for $6.82 a dozen, compared to Eggland's Best-brand cage-free large brown eggs ($6.06) and Eggland's Best-brand organic-certified large brown eggs ($6.14). Other disgruntled egg enthusiasts have questioned the discrepancy on Reddit, too: 'Why are some eggs suddenly super expensive, but my usual organic free range eggs are still $5?' one user asked. Why indeed—and what, if anything, does the increase in egg prices have to do with the current egg shortage? We reached out to a few experts to find out. In short, you can consider it a direct consequence of bird flu, the 'most critical issue' affecting the market, Tom Tabler, PhD, a professor of animal science at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, tells SELF. To quickly recap: In the last three years, outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu have ravaged the US's poultry flocks and dairy herds, killing many birds and forcing farmers to cull those that might have been exposed. Close to 158 million birds had been affected as of February 11, according to the CDC. 'Aside from the public health threat' posed by these outbreaks, 'this is really going to impact supply chains,' Scott Roberts, MD, an infectious diseases expert and assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine, tells SELF. So far, the US has lost around a quarter of its population of table egg-laying chickens (a.k.a 'table egg layers'), dealing a devastating blow to the egg industry, according to Dr. Tabler. 'Usually, we have somewhere between 375 and 400 million layers laying eggs at any one time,' he says. 'Right now, we only have about 300 million laying eggs.' Stats reflect that decline: Egg production fell to a five-year low of 9.1 billion dozen in 2022, down from 9.4 billion dozen in 2019, according to the USDA. Fewer hens equals fewer eggs equals higher prices. It's simple supply and demand: When there's less of a commodity to go around, its value increases. In one recent example of this, the diner chain Waffle House added a 50-cent surcharge to every egg sold to account for the rising costs, per the AP. So yes, the cost of eggs in general has spiked. At the beginning of 2024, a dozen averaged about $2.50, per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and increased to $4.15 by the end of the year. In a February 7 USDA report, the organization listed the most recent average cost at $7.34 a dozen. Good to know, but our original question still remains: Why has the price of organic, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs stayed relatively stable as the price of regular eggs has skyrocketed? It's actually pretty straightforward: Chickens used to lay those kinds of eggs haven't been hit as hard as those responsible for the regular type, according to Dr. Tabler. It's not that higher-end layers are less susceptible—in fact, chickens that have access to the outdoors (like free-range and pasture-raised flocks) are actually more likely to come into contact with potential disease vectors like wildlife, Dr. Tabler says. 'There's more disease risk outside than there is inside the chicken house,' he explains. Rather, it's a ruthless numbers game that comes down to a difference in scale. Farming operations that produce regular eggs are often a whole lot larger than those that produce varieties like organic, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised—they're 'huge,' in Dr. Tabler's words. 'And by 'huge,'' he says, 'I mean there may be three million, four million, five million head of chickens laying eggs all on one site in multiple barns.' Because federal guidelines mandate culling an entire flock if even a single bird tests positive for bird flu, an outbreak among regular layers therefore means far more birds have to be euthanized—'depopulated,' to use USDA terminology—so the impact on egg production is proportionally much greater. 'It's not so much that the high-end eggs have come down in price,' Dr. Tabler explains. 'It's that regular eggs have increased dramatically in price.' And unfortunately, the spike doesn't seem likely to ease anytime soon, according to Dr. Roberts. In fact, he says, things are only worsening month-to-month—and accordingly, egg prices will probably continue to increase for the foreseeable future. Dr. Tabler is similarly pessimistic. 'Before the avian influenza outbreak started, eggs cost $1.79 a dozen in December 2021,' he says. 'I was in California helping USDA dispose of avian influenza-infected flocks in late December 2024, and eggs were $8.97 a dozen.' Even the USDA predicts that prices will rise an additional 20.3% in 2025. What's more, Dr. Roberts is concerned that the recent federal shift in power—and the 'really scaling back a lot of public health funding' that came with it—could exacerbate the problem. And science communication, which is obviously especially vital in times of outbreak, could take a hit, too: In an unprecedented move, federal public health communications were recently paused, stalling the release of several bird flu studies, as reported by CBS. Ultimately, 'we don't know where this is going to end,' Dr. Roberts says. While there are still a lot of unknowns—and a lot of factors, like prices, remain out of your control—you can still take some steps to stay safe from the eggs you do eat: mainly, practicing good food safety. Separate raw poultry and eggs from ready-to-eat stuff, like leftovers, fruits, and vegetables. Make sure to cook poultry and eggs thoroughly before digging in—hitting an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill off any lurking viruses or bacteria, including bird flu viruses. And if you just can't bring yourself to shell out all that extra cash for your regular ol' eggs? That's okay. We're pretty sure you'll find a suitable alternative in this robust list of high-protein breakfasts that are completely egg-free. Related: 8 Things Food Safety Experts Would Never Do in Their Own Kitchens How to 'Fridgescape' to Keep Your Food Safe, Save Money, and Actually Get Organized Are Those Squiggly White Things in Your Berries Actually Worms? Get more of SELF's great food coverage delivered right to your inbox—for free. Originally Appeared on Self
